If you’re reading this blog, I assume you’re a descendant of Penelope and Richard Stout and are familiar with her story and want to know more. I would love to discover the truth behind Penelope’s story but facts are scarce. I'll have to settle for conjectures.

Together, we can combine our incomplete knowledge and arrive at better conclusions. So please comment.

........ Conjecture, noun, the formation of judgments or opinions on the basis of incomplete or inconclusive information. Source: Encarta Dictionary

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A New Version of the Richard and Penelope Story

Thanks go to Jay R. Stout, who grew up in NJ and is a direct male
descendant of R&P, for providing a copy of this article published in 1931 or
‘32 (exact date and page unknown) in the Keyport Weekly newspaper. This version of the Richard and Penelope story has a few details that I have never seen published. Jay states that this story is handed down over the generations by his ancestors. It is consistent with the 1765 and 1790 versions; furthermore, it has reasonable dates and no obvious errors and does not appear to be derived directly from either of the two original published versions.Here is the two-paragraph R&P part, which is followed by the entire article.

"Mr. Stout was a lineal descendant of Richard Stout, who married Penelope Van Princis, said to be the first white woman in the State of New Jersey. Penelope Van Princis and her husband, who was ill, (name unknown) were crossing the ocean on a Dutch ship bound for New Amsterdam, when the vessel was shipwrecked off Sandy Hook and came ashore near what is now the Highlands of New Jersey.The passengers were able to get on shore, but being afraid of the Indians, would not stay until the sick man recovered. They set out to walk to New Amsterdam, but promised to send for them as soon as they arrived. The sick man’s wife, Penelope Van Princis, would not leave her husband. It was not long before two Indians discovered them and soon relieved the husband from all pain, mutilated the wife and left her for dead also, but Penelope was not dead. She found herself possessed with strength enough to creep into a hollow tree, and lived mostly in it for several days, when unexpectedly an old Indian discovered her hiding there and carried her to his little wigwam, near where Middletown now stands, and there nursed her with herbs, such as the Indians alone knew the value of, treated her kindly and she began to improve, gaining strength day by day, until she became entirely well. When the time came that Penelope wished to go to New Amsterdam to find her friends, he conveyed her in his canoe to that city. The old Indian remained faithful to her as long as she lived.

"Among the people Penelope Van Princis met in New Amsterdam was one Richard Stout, an Englishman, aged about 42 years, having been born in 1602, while Penelope was about 22 years of age when they were married in 1644, and settled in Gravesend, L. I. Here, most, if not all of their ten children, seven sons and three daughters, were born. The date of Richard Stout’s arrival and permanent settlement on the Monmouth Tract (Old Middletown) was in 1664. Mr. Stout, one of the twelve Monmouth Patentees, was on the most respectable and respected men in his day in the Monmouth settlement. Richard Stout died in 1705 at the age of 103 years, while his wife, Penelope Stout, died in 1732, at the age of 110 years."

Begin the entire article:

Life-long Friends Nimrod Bedle and Thomas Bedle Stout

Mr.
Nimrod Bedle was born January 22, 1806, and Mr. Thomas Bedle Stout was born on
December 17, 1807, Mr. Bedle being one year, ten months and twenty-five days
older than Mr. Stout. Mr. Bedle’s parents’ farm was in what was called the “Newtown”
section of the Bethany district, about two miles east of Keyport, while Mr.
Stout was born on the old Stout farm at Centreville, near Bethany, in a
locality then termed “Jericho.” The farms were not far apart. These boys,
Nimrod and Thomas, went through life together; played together, both attended
the old Bethany school; also attended the same Sunday school; both became
members of Old Bethany Church, and were church workers there together. Both Mr.
Bedle and Mr. Stout were class-leaders in three churches, viz: Bethany, old first
Methodist Episcopal Church and Calvary M. E. Church, Keyport, and when Thomas
Stout’s friend, Nimrod Bedle, decided to build a home in the wilderness, even
though Mr. Stout thought it was a “crazy” idea for him to do so, he would be
there to help.

Mr.
Thomas Bedle Stout was the son of John and Martha (daughter of Thomas and Amy
Bedle) Stout. He was one of fourteen children, being the seventh child. There
were nine sons and five daughters in this family.

Mr.
Stout was a lineal descendant of Richard Stout, who married Penelope Van
Princis, said to be the first white woman in the State of New Jersey. Penelope
Van Princis and her husband, who was ill, (name unknown) were crossing the
ocean on a Dutch ship bound for New Amsterdam, when the vessel was shipwrecked
off Sandy Hook and came ashore near what is now the Highlands of New
Jersey.The passengers were able to get
on shore, but being afraid of the Indians, would not stay until the sick man
recovered. They set out to walk to New Amsterdam, but promised to send for them
as soon as they arrived. The sick man’s wife, Penelope Van Princis, would not
leave her husband. It was not long before two Indians discovered them and soon
relieved the husband from all pain, mutilated the wife and left her for dead
also, but Penelope was not dead. She found herself possessed with strength enough
to creep into a hollow tree, and lived mostly in it for several days, when
unexpectedly an old Indian discovered her hiding there and carried her to his
little wigwam, near where Middletown now stands, and there nursed her with
herbs, such as the Indians alone knew the value of, treated her kindly and she
began to improve, gaining strength day by day, until she became entirely well.
When the time came that Penelope wished to go to New Amsterdam to find her friends,
he conveyed her in his canoe to that city. The old Indian remained faithful to
her as long as she lived.

Among
the people Penelope Van Princis met in New Amsterdam was one Richard Stout, an
Englishman, aged about 42 years, having been born in 1602, while Penelope was
about 22 years of age when they were married in 1644, and settled in Gravesend,
L. I. Here, most, if not all of their ten children, seven sons and three
daughters, were born. The date of Richard Stout’s arrival and permanent
settlement on the Monmouth Tract (Old Middletown) was in 1664. Mr. Stout, one
of the twelve Monmouth Patentees, was on the most respectable and respected men
in his day in the Monmouth settlement. Richard Stout died in 1705 at the age of
103 years, while his wife, Penelope Stout, died in 1732, at the age of 110
years.

Thomas
Bedle Stout was the sixth generation, through the line of the eldest son of
Richard and Penelope (van Princis) Stout, the first “Stout” settlers of
Monmouth.

Thomas Bedle
Stout, when about twenty-three years of age, went into business as a blacksmith
at Shrewsbury and carried it on successfully for a number of years. He was of
inventive mind and patented quite a number of articles that were very salable.

On
September 25, 1832, Mr. Stout, then about twenty-five years of age, married
Miss Amelia, daughter of Cornelius Walling and Elizabeth Murphy, his wife . The
ceremony was performed by the Rev. Thomas G. Stewart, (this being Rev. Mr.
Stewart’s first year as circuit preacher on the Freehold Circuit,) in the home
of her parents, the old Walling homestead, then designated as being in “Bethany.”
The “Walling” farm is now owned and occupied by Mr. John H. Curtis.

Mrs. Stout’s mother was the daughter of Mr. Timothy and Mary
(Garrison) Murphy, who settled at “Bethany” about 1777, and from that date
until they passed away, (over forty years) their home was a preaching place for
all of the itinerant ministers on the Circuit, and “Friday” was their regular
day for preaching services every two weeks. Mr. and Mrs. Stout moved to Keyport
from Shrewsbury in 1838, and were residents here from that time until they
passed away. Mr. Stout never engaged in business here but invested largely in
real estate.

In
1855, he was elected to the assembly from this district after an exciting
campaign, his opponent being Eusebius M. Walling, his brother-in-law. In his
younger days, Mr. Stout was noted for his great strength, and many are the
feats told of his prowess.

On
March 31, 1840, Isaac K. Lippincott and Caroline W., his wife, conveyed to
Thomas B. Stout, one hundred and ninety-five acres of land covering “Key Grove,”
the Mansion House tract, which property was a part of Mr. Lippincott’s purchase
at the Partition Sale of the Captain Edmund Kearney estate on November 3 and 4,
1829. The consideration was $8,500. The eastern boundary of part of the tract
was “Main Street.” It was about 1838 that William Bedle Sr. purchased of Isaac
Lippincott a plot of ground located on the northwest corner of what is now Main
and Stout Streets, erected a dwelling, brought his wife and family to reside in
the new settlement, and was a resident here from that time until his death.

Thomas
B. Stout selected from that one hundred and ninety-five acres of land, for his
homestead, the property that is now the southwest corner of Main and Stout
Streets. He cut a street through his farm on the north edge of his homestead tract,
naming in “Stout” Street. The home property extended the width of a block, east
and west, along Stout Street, giving tow street entrances to it. The timber for
the “mansion House” was piled on the plot for a year to be seasoned before
commencing to build. While waiting for the timber to season, and while
building, Mr. Stout and family occupied the “Key Grove-Mansion House,” his
recent purchase, until his new home was ready for occupancy.

The
home of Mr. and Mrs. Stout was like the home of Mrs. Stout’s parents, Mr.
Cornelius and Elizabeth (Murphy) Walling, and the home of her grandparents, Mr.
Timothy and Mary (garrison) Murphy. Since the settlement of Mr. Murphy at
Bethany in 1777, these homes have been the Methodist headquarters for all the
itinerant ministers on the Circuit, and also for the ministers and their wives
until they passed away.

It was
on March 2, 1846, that Thomas B. Stout and Amelia, his wife, conveyed to Joseph
I. Beers, William Walling and William H. Crawford, ninety-five acres (covering
the Mansion House tract) of the one hundred and ninety-five acres of land purchased
in 1840, of Isaac Lippincott. Consideration $9,000. The deed was signed, sealed
and delivered in the presence of Francis Murphy.

(Note:
The “Key Grove-Mansion House tract (1931) is owned and occupied by Peter Sondergaard.)

In the
spring of 1842, (ninety years ago) the New Jersey Methodist Conference
appointed the Rev. James K. White and the Rev. James Rogers, the preachers on
the Keyport Circuit. During their pastorate there was a great revival, about
seventy people were converted and added to the church membership. This
necessitated the forming of new classes and Brother Nimrod Bedle, William Bedle
and Thomas Bedle Stout were appointed leaders, the first that had been
appointed in Keyport proper. At this time the class meetings were held in the
new church.

The
children of these early class leaders were brought up in the Sunday school;
later in life they entered the class of their fathers and took an active part
in church work until they passed away.

The
three Methodist class leaders first settled on Main Street, but after five
years, Mr. William Bedle purchased a larger piece of property on the corner of
Broadway and Front Street, settled and remained there many years, leaving his
brother class leaders to pass their days together. These life-long friends
lived nearly opposite each other the remainder of their lives. They were church
workers together, they had one common interest, the church, the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

There
came a day when these life-long Methodist friends were to part. Mr. and Mrs.
Nimrod Bedle, after living together over fifty-three happy years together, were
the first to be separated. Mrs. Bedle passed away on January 15, 1882, at the
age of 77 years, 9 months and 24 days. Mr. Bedle followed shortly after, his
death occurring on July 17, 1883, at the age of 77 years, 5 months and 25 days,
having outlived his wife about a year and a half.

Mr.
Thomas Bedle Stout outlived his life-long friend, Mr. Bedle, five years, having
passed away on September 1, 1888, at the age of 80 years, 8 months and 14 days,
while Mrs. Stout outlived her husband early ten years, she having passed away
on May 16, 1898, at the age of 82 years and 9 days.

These
active, pioneer settlers have gone to their reward.

The “Methodist”
seed sown by Nimrod Bedle, (the first settler in the town of Keyport) when he
invited the Methodist Circuit preachers, the Rev. Thomas Stewart, to conduct a
prayer meeting and preaching service in his home on Main Street, (in December,
1831) has grown and multiplied to about ten hundred and forty Methodist Church
members and Sunday school scholars during the century, 1831-1931.

(Note:
The population of Keyport given in the 1930 census was about 4,900.)

2 comments:

I noticed the surname Walling, which reminds of a previous blog about Therese Walling Seabrook (of Keyport) and her memory of stories about Penelope's scars. I'll try to find the link between Therese Walling and Thomas Bedle Stout.

Not sure how the anabaptist Penelope would feel about her grandchildren being Methodists! Good to know. I also came across my line of Stout having delegates to the first synod of the evangelical (the branch that merges into the UCC). I love the stock from which I come.